Reed-organ



F, WASCHEK.

REED ORGAN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. ms.

Patented June 24, 1919.

2 S'HEETS-'SHEET 1.

1 722172 Wosche/k.

F. WASCHEK.

REED ORGAN.

APPLICATION H in MA! I0, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ennui) STATES PATENT errant...

FRANZ WASCHEK, 0F HAMTRAMCK, MICHIGAN.

REED- ORGAN.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, F RANZ \Vascnnn, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, resident of Hamtramck, county of Wayne, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs, of which the "following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reed organs and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel means for controlling the volume of the sound issuing therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of operating the bellows or pump in such a manner as to relieve the operator from much of the strain usually accompanying the playing of an organ.

With the above and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel combination, construction and arrangement of parts which will be forth in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an organ constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view through the device taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4, is a vertical sectional view through the device taken on line 41 of Fig.

Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail sectional view through a portion of the device taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. (3, is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the closures for the air passage.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference the numeral 1, designates as an en tirety the organ comprising a, case 2, having a keyboard 3 in which the keys 4, are mounted. The case 2 has extending forwardly therefrom at its lower end and arranged centrally thereof a pair of arms 5 for supporting the bellows-operating pedals, which will be more fully hereinafter de scribed.

Mounted on the forward ends of the arms 5 are bearings G, in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 7, having attached to opposite ends the crank arms 8, on which are. mounted the pedals 9, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. Mounted on the shaft9,between the arms 5, is a wheel 10, around *gecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1918.

Patented June 24, Re ish Serial No, 233,630.

which a chain 11, runs and when the operator turns the shaft the chain will be driven. Extending longitudinally through the case 2, adjacent the bottom wall thereof is a shaft 12, which is mounted in suitable bearings 13 at opposite ends of the case and this shaft 12 is provided centrally with a sprocket 1%, around which the chain 11, passes.

Mounted within the lower portion of the case 2, is the bellows 19, which consists'of pair of heads 20, connected by a compressible body of flexible material 21. Formed near one end of the upper head of the bellows and adjacent the rear edge thereof is bellows to escape while the same is compressed. This valve opens into a reser voir 24, formed within the upper portion of the case 2, and the front wall of said reservoir 24, is designated by the numeral 25, and pierced by apertures 26, which are adapted to be closed by the valves 27, mounted on the shafts 28. These shafts 28 pass through a reservoir 29 formed in the case 2 just in front of the reservoir 24, and also through the front wall of the case. Knobs or pulls 30, are attached to the outer forward ends of the shafts 28, and serve as a controlling means for the valves 27.

Extending longitudinally through the upper portion of the case 2 is an passage 31 having three series of outlets or openings 32, which are arranged in staggered relation and are adapted to be closed by the valves or closures illustrated in Fig. (3. One end of the passage 31 communicates with the chamber 29, so that air admitted to the said chamber 29, from'the reservoir 24, will pass into the passage 31, and escape when one bf the openings 32, is uncovered. in order to produce sound upon the opening or" any particular opening 82, the passage is formed with a number of offsets 3.3, upon which are supported the reeds or tongues thus be seen that when any one of the outlots 32 is opened the air in rushing past the reed or tongue mounted near that particular opening will cause the said reed or tongue to vibrate and create a sound. It will be understood of course that the reeds or tongues and openings will be arranged to cooperate in producm r musical sounds and the relative positions 0' the various outlets will be made to meet varying requirements. For the present however the drawing illustrates It, will an air tightclosure.

the conventional form of key-board and the valves controlled by the keys are arranged accordingly.

lhe keys 4, previously mentioned are pivotally mounted on a rod 35, which is arof asuitable soft substance which engagesthe walls of its particular passage and forms For the upper series of valves it will be necessary to offset the stems 36, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, so as to allow for the opening of the valves of the lOWBrSQI'lfiS without interfering with the rest of the valves.

In operation it will be seen that the organist drives the bellows to cause air under pres- 1 sure to enter the reservoir 24 and thus one 'or more of the valves 27, may be opened 25 according to the volume desired. The user then by playing uncover certain of the openings in the pas- ..sage 31, and allow the air within the passage 31, to esca e around the reeds or tongues 34, causing t e same to vibrate and produce sound. Uf course the volume of air passing around the reed or ton ues will vary according to the amount 0 air admitted to the passage and time b the manipulation of the 6 pulls or knobs t e valves 2'2 may be conof thdvarious keys 4, Will eora/is trolled and the volume of air increased or decreased, so that soft or loud tones may be produced at the will of the user.

lVhile in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it will be understood that certain minor changes in the construction, combination and urrangmnent of parts may be resortcdto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

\Vhat is claimed is In a reed organ of the character described, the combination with a reservoir for containing fluid under pressure. a bellows and opci;- atingmeans therefor, of a chamber for receiving the fluid from said reservoir upon the operation of said bellows, sound producing means, said chamber communicating with said sound producing means, and-valves between said reservoir and sa'id'chambcr for controlling the amount of fluid admitted to said chamber and thereby the volume of the sound produced, other valves between said chamber and reservoir and above said sound producing means, one for each key of the organ, each comprising an oli'set stem, a plate, a facing material for the same, and means for connecting the stems of said valves with the keys of the organ, substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

FRANZ WASCHEK. 

